A/N: Thanks for the latest reviews, reader peops! Isn't it cool when Jess & Lorelai get along? I always think so ;)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 24

"I don't understand. The last couple of weeks at dinner, Grandma has been all grumpy and weird and oh so rude to both of us, and we thought it was because she was unhappy being apart from Grandpa when he went back to work for his notice," Rory recapped fast, the way only a Gilmore could, "and now, suddenly, she has him home all day, every day for less than a week, and what? She's even more grumpy and weird than before?"

"Uh, apparently, yeah," Lorelai agreed.

"Coffee?" asked Jess as he appeared in front of them with the pot in his hand.

"And then some," said Lorelai, holding up her cup with both hands. "Today is not a great day, and tomorrow? Well, that might just be worse."

"It's ten in the morning on a Sunday," said Jess, looking from Lorelai to Rory. "How can she be this... anxious?" he said, clearly having chosen his words carefully.

Rory appreciated that, in the circumstances, sure that he would've liked to say 'crazy' or 'tightly wound' or something else that could be taken badly. Right now, the last thing they needed was to make Lorelai any more upset than she already was.

Taking a long drink from her coffee cup, Rory watched her mom finally come up for air and then sigh.

"This is a nightmare," she said, shaking her head. "I cannot babysit my dad for a whole day. I just, I can't!" she insisted.

"Well, did Grandma actually say the whole day?" Rory asked.

"It was implied!"

Jess visibly winced then moved down the counter just a little, presumably in an attempt to talk to Rory without her mother hearing.

"What is going on?" he asked her quietly.

"Grandpa retired and apparently his being around the house all the time is driving Grandma crazy. She called this morning, way too early, and pretty much begged Mom to take him off her hands tomorrow."

"Huh." Jess nodded. "I mean, I never met your grandfather, but is he not completely capable of taking care of himself, no babysitter required?"

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Rory sighed. "Apparently, no. Apparently, he has to come to Stars Hollow, for the whole day, as far as I can tell, and since I'll be in school, that leaves Mom to be his tour guide and care taker. I don't think I need to tell you that the idea does not thrill her."

"Clearly not," said Jess, listening in as Lorelai repeated her tale of woe to a sympathetic yet awkward looking Luke now. "I know she mentioned before that she and her parents don't exactly see eye-to-eye, but is it that bad?"

"She has been known to refer to them as Adolf and Eva."

"Ouch."

"And she's already suggested I cut school tomorrow just to play buffer between her and Grandpa."

"Which you are never going to do," said Jess knowingly. "I mean, I would, but I'm not sure your grandfather wants to spend the day with me."

Rory knew he was joking, it was quite clear that he was, and yet the thought suddenly occurred to her that, with her grandfather spending the whole day in Stars Hollow, he would actually have a chance to at least meet Jess, and vice versa. She just hadn't got as far as thinking about that before.

"Okay, that's a weird expression," said Jess, staring hard at her. "You know I was kidding, right? I am absolutely not volunteering to babysit your grandpa."

"No, I know," Rory assured him, "but you'll meet him. I mean, I can introduce you. I just think it'll be weird if he's here all day and he doesn't meet you. I told him and grandma about you, just a little, but they know you exist, so... yeah, I would like for you guys to meet."

"Really? You sure about that?"

Rory was a little affronted that he had to confirm in that way. It made it seem like maybe she wouldn't want Grandpa to meet Jess. As if maybe she was ashamed of one or the other of them, which she absolutely was not.

"He's my grandfather and you're my boyfriend," she said, as if that wasn't already established and obvious. "Of course I want you guys to meet. Grandpa met Dean, and yes, it's true, they didn't exactly hit it off, but still."

"They didn't?" Jess checked, seemingly intrigued as he leaned on the counter beside her. "Tell me more."

"Well, there's not much to tell, really," she said, knowing she was squirming and hating it, but also unsure how to keep from doing so in the circumstances. "You have to understand that my grandpa is very protective of me. You know, I'm his only grandchild and... well, I'm not sure he would 100% approve of any guy I dated, because you know how paternal figures are, and Dean isn't... I mean, he wasn't..."

She knew what she needed to say, Rory just really didn't want to have to. After all, it was Dean's lack of steady plans for the future that had really irked her grandfather. At least he had some clue of what life after high school might be like. Rory was well aware that Jess didn't even care all that much about his diploma, much less attending college or having some big-time career.

It bothered Rory herself sometimes, because she was well aware of how smart Jess was and how capable he could be if he just put his mind to it. There was no way the great Richard Gilmore was going to like being told that his granddaughter's latest flame was happy to follow in the footsteps of the Beats or similar, once he was out of school.

"Maybe it'd be better if I just laid low when your grandpa comes to town," said Jess, looking oddly disappointed when he looked at Rory then.

Honestly, she wondered if he also had mind-reading abilities, but she figured probably not. He had to have known what it was that she wasn't saying, that she had intended to say but didn't dare, because he was pretty intuitive, after all. It was a part of those smarts that he had in abundance, even if he didn't always like to use them.

"Jess!" she called after him when he very suddenly walked away from her.

"I'm taking my break, Luke!" he yelled over his shoulder.

The fact he was reaching for his cigarettes before he had quite cleared the door told Rory everything she needed to know. She had screwed up.

"Everything okay, hon?" Lorelai asked, her attention back on her daughter now that Luke was busy serving customers again.

"Not really." She sighed heavily, taking a drink from her coffee cup. "I was just thinking about Jess and Grandpa finally meeting, and somehow I mentioned Grandpa not exactly liking Dean when they met and why that was and... I don't know, I think somehow, I implied that Grandpa wouldn't like Jess either. I didn't mean to, but honestly, now that I think about it?"

"It's probably true." Lorelai nodded her agreement, looking sad on her daughter's behalf. "Rory, sweetie, I'm sorry, but you know no guy is ever going to be good enough for Richard and Emily's precious, precious granddaughter. As much as I approve of Jess, he's so not up to the gold standard in the eyes of those elder Gilmores, is he?"

"Not so much," Rory admitted, shaking her head. "Ugh, why did I even have to suggest that they meet? If Grandpa couldn't approve of Dean, you know he'll never approve of Jess, especially if anyone from town has anything to do with it, and by anyone, I mean Taylor. Even after all this time, with Jess not getting into any trouble lately, he still calls him a hoodlum whenever he sees him."

"Well, honey, that's Taylor." Lorelai shrugged. "But you know, your grandpa's not a monster. A puppet master, oh, yes, but not a monster. I just think if you're a little careful about his introduction to Jess, things could be cool. Get them on the topic of books!" Lorelai suggested. "Jess has read everything, right?"

"Not everything," Rory considered, "but a lot. Some stuff I haven't even gotten to yet."

"There you go, introduce your boyfriend to your grandpa as a well-rounded reader of the classics. He'll love that."

The idea had potential, though Rory was convinced that, at some point, the subject of future plans would come up and spoil everything. She supposed that was just something she was going to have to live with. Besides, her mom had it worse. Lorelai was going to have to spend the whole day tomorrow with a father who rarely understood her at all. That had to be rough.

Jess knew he had over-reacted. He knew it long before he ever got as far as the bridge. Even before he ever got his cigarette sparked into life as he stormed away from the diner in a dark mood. As if a girl like Rory would feel good about introducing a guy like Jess to her conservative, blue blood grandfather. As if Jess was really craving the guy's approval anyway.

When she came looking for him, apologising and looking so damn adorable, Jess couldn't stay mad at her. He told her he was sorry too, but that he meant what he said about laying low when Richard Gilmore came around. Unfortunately, Rory wasn't willing to let him hide away.

"And how stupid am I going to look if my grandpa asks to meet my boyfriend and I have to say, 'Oh, no, I'm sorry, he's currently hiding from you, in case you think he's not good enough'? Which, by the way, you absolutely are."

"Seriously?" Jess checked, looking as incredulous as he felt, he was certain, but Rory wasn't letting him out of it so easy.

"Jess, you are more than good enough. You're actually smarter than me in some ways, and us, together, well, it works, doesn't it?"

"You know it does," he told her with a smile that wouldn't be repressed, "but your grandfather..."

"Grandpa is a nice man," Rory promised him, her hand at Jess' cheek. "He cares about me a lot, and I can't promise that he's going to exactly love you, because hey, like I said, protective and paternal, but I'm sure it won't be that bad," she said definitely. "I promise, I'll make sure it's not, but I would really appreciate it if you would make the effort to meet him and be, you know, at least mildly polite."

Jess smirked at the way she phrased it, because frankly, it was hard not to. For anybody else, there was no way he would make that much of an effort, but this was Rory. She was reason enough to break every rule he ever made for himself about bending to the will of others. She was just worth it.

"Fine," he said eventually. "I'll meet your grandfather and I'll try to come off all decent and upstanding for as long as he's giving me the hairy eyeball," he promised, "but when you said you were really going to appreciate me making the effort-"

"I absolutely meant it," Rory declared happily. "In fact, appreciation part one, right now."

When she kissed him, she all but took his breath away. Not that that was anything new. There was just something about Rory Gilmore. Jess wasn't sure he would ever fully understand what it was, but it was as if he took one look at her and a spell was cast. He just had to be with her, had to stick with her from here on out, however crazy that sounded. At least, he planned to be around as long as she could stand for him to be and make the most of her for as long as he got to call her his girlfriend. Given how things usually went for Jess, he was pretty damn sure it wouldn't be for long.

To Be Continued...